Useless Etymology
Offbeat Word Origins for Curious Minds
- Publisher's listprice GBP 16.99
-
8 116 Ft (7 730 Ft + 5% VAT)
The price is estimated because at the time of ordering we do not know what conversion rates will apply to HUF / product currency when the book arrives. In case HUF is weaker, the price increases slightly, in case HUF is stronger, the price goes lower slightly.
- Discount 15% (cc. 1 217 Ft off)
- Discounted price 6 899 Ft (6 571 Ft + 5% VAT)
Subcribe now and take benefit of a favourable price.
Subscribe
8 116 Ft
Availability
Not yet published.
Why don't you give exact delivery time?
Delivery time is estimated on our previous experiences. We give estimations only, because we order from outside Hungary, and the delivery time mainly depends on how quickly the publisher supplies the book. Faster or slower deliveries both happen, but we do our best to supply as quickly as possible.
Product details:
- Publisher John Murray Press
- Date of Publication 9 October 2025
- Number of Volumes Print PDF
- ISBN 9781399809184
- Binding Hardback
- No. of pages336 pages
- Size 196x136x32 mm
- Weight 384 g
- Language English
- Illustrations N/A 700
Categories
Long description:
"
Did you know that an ""astronaut"" is literally a ""star sailor,"" that a thesaurus is, in fact, a ""treasure
trove"" of words, and that someone who is ""sinister"" is actually just ""left-handed""?
Have you ever wondered why English isn't considered a Romance language if 60% of our
words are Latin-derived?
Did Shakespeare really invent 1,700 words, and if not, why the heck do we say that he did?
Why is the English language stuffed with so many synonyms?
Let's be real: English can seem pretty bonkers. And, well, sometimes it is. But through thorough thought and a pinch of curiosity, method can be found within the madness of our modern tongue-even within the disparate pronunciation of the words ""through,"" ""thorough,"" and ""thought.""
Derived from Germanic, Romance, Hellenic, Semitic, African and Native American languages, English contains multitudes. It has been (and continues to be) transformed by war and conquest, art and literature, science and technology, love and hate, wit and whim.
Useless Etymology takes readers on a time-traveling adventure to unlock the beauty, wonder, and absurdity within our everyday words, how they came to be, and the unexpected ways their origins weave a global, cross-cultural labyrinth of meaning.
Filled with fun facts and delightful discoveries, this is an enlightening read for anyone who wants to know more about why the English language works the way that it does.
